1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety mechanisms for firearms and particularly to a magazine safety.
2. Discussion of Background
Although safety mechanisms play an important role in preventing the accidental discharge of a firearm, many accidental shootings still occur each year. Carelessness and negligence factor into many accidental shootings; however, many times an undetected bullet remaining in the chamber of the firearm is unintentionally discharged. Persons familiar with firearm safety realize that a firearm may still be potentially deadly, even though the magazine is removed.
In semi-automatic firearms, the bullets are fed into the chamber automatically upon firing. Although the trigger may be actuated in rapid succession, the automatically fed bullets can become a safety hazard. Unless the entire magazine load has been fired, a bullet will remain in the chamber of the firearm.
In order to reduce the safety risks posed by a bullet remaining in the chamber of the firearm, numerous magazine safeties have been devised. A magazine safety functions to prevent movement of the trigger if the magazine is removed from the firearm; however, the trigger is free to move if the magazine is within the firearm, unless another safety prevents movement of the trigger. Unfortunately, the magazine safeties that have currently been devised are overly complex and thereby likely to fail.
Therefore, there is a need for a magazine safety having a simple design that can be manufactured in a cost-effective manner.